Rick Perry's Collapse Is The Best Thing That Could Have Happened To Him

Within seconds of Rick Perry’s onstage collapse last night, the political world had almost unanimously declared the time of death for the Texas Governor’s presidential campaign. But Perry’s spectacular meltdown may end up being the best thing that ever happened to his lagging White House bid.

In contrast to the Herman Cain camp, Perry’s team has been a model for crisis management in the aftermath of the gaffe. The chagrined candidate has been making the morning show rounds today, displaying a startling humble and human side in the face of some pretty snarky talk show hosts.

Perry’s media blitz is now starting to look a lot like a comeback tour. Perry’s “I just made a mistake” message has actually set the candidate free, allowing him to shrug off his campaign talking points and show off the straight-talking humility and humour that has long been his strength as a politician.

It helps that everyone knows, or at least fears, the feeling of public humiliation. Perry basically lived out the onstage-in-your-underwear nightmare last night — his cringe-worthy moment evoked sympathy, which is no easy task for a presidential candidate. Moreover, the media’s response to the gaffe has been particularly vicious, and is already provoking some to come to Perry’s defence.

In the end, all press is good press. Perry’s campaign has been on a downward spiral for months, and the debate brain melt at least puts the candidate back in the news. Perry’s media blitz will boost his name recognition, which could easily translate to a bump in the polls, at least temporarily. But a little push may be all Perry needs to regain momentum as his campaign heads into the home stretch before the real voting begins.